Chizhik

Chikh cucumber is an early variety distinguished by its rapid maturation and stable productivity, making it a popular choice among gardeners and agronomists. The plant forms compact bushes with main stems up to 2 meters tall and shortened lateral branches, which are easy to manage without the need for pruning. This hybrid is bee-pollinated, with a large number of female flowers and weak branching, contributing to high yield.

Chikh cucumber fruits are juicy, crisp gherkins measuring 8-10 cm in length, weighing 60-100 grams, and having a diameter of about 3 cm. They have large but sparse prickles with white hairs and sometimes exhibit slight mottling. The flesh is dense and crunchy, with a balanced, aromatic flavor free of bitterness, making these cucumbers suitable for fresh consumption as well as for canning and pickling. The fruits store and transport well, which is an additional advantage of this variety.

Chikh cucumber can be grown either by direct sowing of seeds into open ground or by seedlings. Sowing is done when soil temperature reaches 15-20°C during the day and not less than 8°C at night, planting seeds at a depth of 1.5-2 cm and covering with plastic film to retain moisture. In greenhouses and tunnels, seeds are sown at the beginning of May, and seedlings are transplanted in mid-May, when they reach 20-25 days old and have 3-5 true leaves. Plants are spaced at 70x40 cm, and are pinched above the 5th-7th leaf to encourage fruiting on lateral branches. Following these agronomic recommendations ensures a high-quality, abundant harvest.